Don’t go. Don’t go. Just don’t. Go. Seriously. Dean Lori Berquam revealed a video speaking out against Mifflin that went viral and sent students into a fury. NEWS | 2
THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969 Volume XLIII, Issue 130
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
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Chompin’ down with Bucky Students gather on Bascom Hill Monday morning to get free breakfast sponsored by Fresh Madison Market as part of the All Campus Party. Events will continue throughout the week, with many opportunities for Badgers to gain free giveaways and prizes. Olivia Thompson-Davies The Badger Herald
MCSC hits roadblock SSFC continues hold on group’s funds with policy violation, could bar future eligibility Jackie Allen Campus Life Editor
Obama zones in on student debt Jacob Kaczmarowski Herald Contributor With federal student loan interest rates set to double in July, President Barack Obama is urging Congress to draft legislation to freeze them. On July 1, student loan interest rates will increase from 3.4 percent to 6.4 percent, according to a White House report. This increase would affect 7.4 million students nationally, 163,427 of which are Wisconsin college students. A statement from the White House said Obama is calling on Congress to put forward legislation to stop interest rates from doubling. The statement said tuition and fees measured
in constant dollars have more than doubled throughout the past two decades, and 2010 graduates who took out loans left college owing an average of more than $25,000. White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said during a press call Monday that Obama is working with Congress to keep interest rates down and spare working Americans this added cost. Earnest said if the interest rates stay the same, the estimated cost to taxpayers would be $6 billion and would add, on average, $968 per borrower over the life of a loan. Cecilia Muñoz, director of the Domestic Policy Council, said the president is asking
Congress to reward students’ hard work and responsibility. “By keeping interest rates on student loans low, more Americans can get a fair shot at an affordable college education, the skills they need to find a good job and a clear path to the middle class,” Muñoz said. She added if we are going to be on the strongest possible economic footing, the country has to make sure college education is affordable. Michael Hintze, the Wisconsin State Coordinator for Tea Party Patriots, said Obama’s tactics for addressing student debt did not quite
DEBT, page 2
Student loan savings Estimated savings for the State of Wisconsin if Subsidized Stafford Loan interest rates are kept at their current level.
$158,197,336 Total savings statewide among all 163,427 borrowers
$968 Savings per borrower SOURCE: White House press release
Members of the University of Wisconsin student government voted to support a measure calling four alleged violations by the Multicultural Student Coalition intentional. The Student Services Finance Committee also approved a 52-week freeze on the organization’s budget. Chair Sarah Neibart froze the organization’s budget after learning from UW administrators of the four violations of the same Wisconsin and UW purchasing policy, as well as a student government law. The policy states groups must abide by university and state policies, are responsible for submitting contracts three weeks prior to purchasing a program, must submit a budget alteration for SSFC and understand budgets may require documentation, Neibart said during the meeting. She added MCSC violated each of these rules in the process of asking for a budget alteration for training from Michael Franklin, an MCSC adviser who provides training to the organization. When MCSC was denied the budget alteration in October, it went forward with the training, Neibart said. They also held a training session in December without filing the proper paperwork, then went directly to Vice Chancellor for Administration Darrell Bazzell for funding, rather than SSFC. According to Neibart, the contracts covering the costs for
County continues battle on opiates City Hall Editor City officials continued their efforts to curb Madison’s heroin epidemic at the source Monday, hosting a follow-up on a task force summit held earlier this year. Monday’s summit detailed the progress Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Madison Mayor Paul Soglin have made in working with the Safe Communities Initiative to give people options to prevent further narcotics abuse. Parisi and Soglin joined with representatives from the city and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office to discuss improvements to the system
since the last summit. Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney said the problem stems largely from heroin being brought into the community from a variety of locations outside the city. “Opiate addiction affects everyone,” Parisi said. “People drive into Madison from rural areas to get heroin and shoot up.” At the summit held in January, Soglin and Parisi said poison-related deaths, the majority of which are drug overdoses, are the number one cause of death in the county. Safe Communities Executive Director Cheryl
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Sean Kirkby State Politics Editor With a primary for the recall elections only two weeks away, some Republican legislators are calling for party faithfuls to vote in Democratic primaries to deceptively influence the elections. Rep. Robin Vos, R-Burlington, said while he is not working to coordinate cross-over voting efforts, where a Republican may vote for a Democrat in the election or vice versa, voters have frequently Zhao Lim The Badger Herald
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi is still pushing the opiate task force as one of the county’s main priorities, arguing people from rural areas come to Madison to purchase and abuse heroin. The county has recently increased the number of available MedDrop boxes.
Injuries sustained in Lake Street beating Leah Linscheid City Life Editor NORTH LAKE STREET BATTERY An out-of-state college student visiting Madison over the weekend found himself victim to a serious battery Saturday morning, according to a Madison Police Department report. The report said the
20-year-old was found bleeding near North Lake Street and Langdon Street. He was transported to a local hospital and treated for a broken nose and other non-life-threatening head injuries. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the incident happened outside of the Kollege Klub bar, where the victim was
MCSC, page 3
GOP promotes crossover voting
Parisi, Soglin evaluate task force’s progress, see leveling off of heroin overdoses, presence Adrianna Viswanatha
Franklin total about $13,000 throughout the past year and a half. She added they are currently unsure whether the contracts will ultimately be funded because they are still being processed and UW may still be held liable for them. The decision to rule the violations intentional puts more pressure on the ongoing debate on MCSC’s funding eligibility by the Associated Students of Madison, since part of the requirements to meet eligibility include being in accordance with the law, Neibart said. Following open forum, during which MCSC members were not present because of a meeting conflict, multiple SSFC members said they did not see any way the moves were not intentional. “This is intentional as far as I can tell,” SSFC Vice Chair Chase Wilson said. “It’s incredibly mind-boggling that anyone would even try to have contracts approved for services that happened six months ago with money that was not there without going through any of the normal processes at all.” SSFC Rep. David Vines, who said earlier he was concerned about voting on the motion ruling the violations intentional without first hearing from MCSC representatives, asked members multiple questions about their steps in meeting with ASM professional staff to approve the contracts. MCSC member Cecilia León, who arrived at the SSFC meeting more than an
apparently attacked without motivation. “This is troubling because from my understanding, the victim was minding his own business when the suspects got out of an SUV and attacked without provocation,” Verveer said. “The attack seems very random and scary.” According to MPD
spokesperson Joel DeSpain, a witness of the incident said he heard a loud noise and watched two men enter a black SUV before he found the victim. He described one man as being black with a shaved head and a button-down plaid shirt. It is unknown if the two men caused the victim’s injuries.
© 2012 BADGER HERALD
DeSpain said the witness found broken bottles near the victim, but he noted glass shards were not found on the victim’s body. Medical staff also said the victim’s injuries suggest he was either punched or kicked, according to DeSpain.
CRIME IN BRIEF, page 2
CROSSOVER, page 3
INSIDE Who’s No. 2? Jacob Pedersen is the Badgers’ top tight end, but a hose of players are competing for a spot alongside him.
SPORTS | 8
Grading recall candidates Columnist John Waters reviews the three main candidates performance this week.
OPINION | ONLINE
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The Badger Herald | News | Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Corrections In the “Hopefuls for Baldwin’s seat unveil key issues” story published in Monday’s paper, a quote regarding the cost of congressional races was misattributed to Dane County Treasurer Dave Worzala. The online version has been changed to fix the mistake. We regret the error. An article yesterday titled “Walk instills importance of suicide prevention on UW” incorrectly stated the number of college students who commit suicide each year is 11,000. The number is actually 1,100. We regret the error.
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CRIME in Brief FROM PAGE ONE: NORTH LAKE STREET BATTERY The victim has been unable to provide information about the incident or a potential suspect. “He was very disoriented,” DeSpain said. “He really, at the time, wasn’t able to tell us much of anything.” No arrests have been made in connection to the incident.
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UNIVERSITY AVENUE Arrested Person
After causing a disruption at two downtown bars early Saturday morning, a Madison man has been arrested on tentative charges of battery and possession of marijuana. According to an MPD report, Deonte Thompson, 21, was involved in an altercation between two bouncers outside of Logan’s on West Johnson Street. DeSpain said Deonte allegedly punched one bouncer in the chest and the other in the face before fleeing. Neither bouncer was significantly injured, he added. Police were dispatched
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a short time later to Segredo bar on University Avenue, where employees told the officers that a man dropped a handgun on the floor, left the bar and returned later to demand the gun be returned to him. The report said an employee took the gun home and called police to have it returned. Deonte, who fit descriptions given by both Logan’s and Segredo employees, was spotted near a Lake Street parking ramp, according to the report. He claimed he wore an empty gun holster because it was “sexy.” Police also found marijuana in the suspect’s pocket.
“It is extremely troubling that a patron had a loaded handgun at Segredo, and he happened to be the same individual who was a problem at Logan’s,” Verveer said. Deonte was arrested on two charges of battery, possession of marijuana and resisting arrest. The case is still under investigation and additional charges may be pending, DeSpain added.
WEST MIFFLIN STREET Attempted Burglary A pizza delivery driver
alerted police of an in-progress burglary Sunday morning around 3:30 a.m., when he witnessed a man trying to pry open a door on West Mifflin Street with a crowbar, according to a report. After the driver provided a description of the suspect, officers pulled over Michael Makar, 41, as he was riding a bicycle near the State Capitol. They found a 20” crowbar and an empty backpack on his person. Makar, who has been convicted of burglary in the past, was arrested on charges of non-residential burglary.
Report: Half of recent grads face job trouble Katie Caron Higher Education Editor As a portion of the student body looks forward to graduating in four weeks and moving on to life after their undergraduate years, a new study shows that their transition into the working world may not be easy. The analytical study of government data conducted for The Associated Press found that half of new college graduates are either unemployed or underemployed. Last year, about 1.5 million, or 54 percent of bachelor’s degree holders under the age of 25 were jobless or held positions falling below their qualifications, according to the study based on an analysis of 2011 Current Population Survey data.
Professor and former University of Wisconsin Chancellor John Wiley said given the state of the economy, there are not many jobs for anyone but he is optimistic things will get better. This new data reflects the economy and trends in the workforce as well as rising tuition, he said. “The job mix is changing and the jobs in high demand are ones that require a bachelors or masters degree or more,” he said. “Things have changed, and more and more people have to stay in school longer.” Although this may be true, he said it does not mean that graduate school is necessary by any means. He said it rather means that many of the higher paying jobs, which will more effectively pay off student
loans, require more years of training. “We’re transitioning from a blue collar economy to a knowledge-based economy where your work involves special expertise, and that requirement means training … and the payoff for that special education is getting higher,” Wiley said. UW professor Sara Goldrick-Rab said in an email to The Badger Herald that unemployment rates among college graduates remain lower than those for high school graduates. She said that in light of the current recession and its aftermath, it is always the case that white collar industries like those employing college graduates are the last effected by economic downturns. Wiley added that with this
payoff, it is nearly impossible to invest so much money in secondary education that is not worth it. The problem, he said, is people have to have the money in the first place. He said currently the national tuition situation is “awful,” and that this is changing the mix of what undergraduates are majoring in. He said, for example, that few people in the School of Education choose to major in elementary education because that is not where the money is, and that often students come out of their undergraduate years with $20,000 in loan debt to pay off. Ultimately, Wiley said he sees all of this as fitting into the larger picture of a trend in higher education. He said right now, tuition, including UW’s, is not low and that over
the last 10 to 15 years states have been pulling financial support for higher education. He said although he foresees an impending crisis, it will come with a resolution in the next 15 years. “I think the country is really at a tipping point,” he said. “Democracies are very good at solving crises but they are not very good at planning ahead. … We’re hitting a crisis point.” Wiley said another factor influencing the state of employment after undergraduate years is a shifting workforce and job market. He said about 20 years ago, students would more often try to graduate and go straight to a large company where they would stay and move up the ladder. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Dean’s anti-Mifflin video stirs campus Jackie Allen Campus Life Editor
Katie Caron Higher Education Editor While many students are gearing up for this year’s Mifflin Street Block Party and preparing for the changes that will be implemented at this year’s event, the University of Wisconsin Dean of Students Office put forth a simple message Monday: Don’t go. Dean of Students Lori Berquam released a YouTube video yesterday urging students to forgo the notorious
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Wittke said in an interview with The Badger Herald the last summit drew nearly 130 people. She said Safe Communities wanted to let people know the root cause of narcotics addiction
block party, which she said has become more dangerous over the last couple of years and “encourages really smart people to do stupid things.” In the video she said an example of the stupid behavior is the trend of students advertising and selling shirts that merge the idea of Mifflin with Cinco de Mayo. She said this is hurtful to people in both the campus community and the city. “So my advice again is, don’t go. Don’t go to that event. It is not a campus event, it is not a city event and it is not a safe event. So don’t go,” she said in
the video. Although she mainly advised viewers to not go to the party, she outlined some guidelines for those who choose to do so. She said students should comply with requests of law enforcement, be culturally responsible, go with trusted friends and not take a drink from a stranger. UW sophomore Danielle Vogel said she generally agreed with Berquam’s points, but that she thought the video could have been put together better. “With the script and how she kept saying ‘don’t go’ over and over again I just felt like
is often the result of having excess prescription drugs in the home. “Seventy percent of people abusing narcotics are getting them from people they know,” Wittke said. Safe Communities has now obtained funds to further its MedDrop program, which allows
smacking my head,” she said. “If it had been put together better it might have resonated with more people. Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs Chair Hannah Somers added students need to weigh the pros and cons of going to Mifflin with the recognition that police will be “cracking down,” making staying safe and out of trouble key. Vogel added that she understood Berquam’s concerns about the “Cinco de Mifflin” t-shirt designs, and that she also agreed with all of her points about general safety
people to drop off excess prescription drugs that could be used in an abusive manner, Wittke said. According to a statement from Soglin and Parisi, the number of MedDrop boxes has been increased from four to 10 and are “fully available.” Wittke said Safe Communities has held an event twice a year where people could come to the MedDrop areas and deposit their drugs. “This initiative gives people a really easy way to [get rid of excess prescription medications],” Wittke said. She said though Safe Communities does not currently have the data to gauge changes in the amount of drug abuses
guidelines for the event. Berquam also reminded students that if they are arrested or cited, they will be held responsible by the city, the police and the Dean of Students Office. Following the video’s posting to YouTube, Internet users immediately began giving their input on the video’s comment forum. At press time, almost 13,000 users had viewed the video. Despite some supportive comments, a large number of posters attacked Berquam’s message and video, eventually sending the clip viral throughout the campus.
since the last summit, Dane County Narcotics and Gang Taskforce has seen a leveling off of heroin overdoses. Alcohol Policy Coordinator Mark Woulf said in an interview with The Badger Herald that MedDrop is one of the best practices to gain control over excess prescription drugs in homes, especially painkillers, by enabling people to take the drugs to their local police station. Woulf said this is crucial to preventing the drugs from “falling into the wrong hands,” as heroin addicts often start out addicted to prescription drugs. “[This summit] is sort of a ‘quick-fix’ thing to get prescription drugs off the street and make the public
aware of the continuing efforts of Safe Communities and their partnership with the city,” Woulf said. Safe Communities is also partnering with the medical community to address prescribing practices, Wittke said. She said the next steps involve an effort to work with children to educate them about primary prevention at an event May 30. The event, “Prevention of Youth Drug and Alcohol Abuse: What Works, What Doesn’t,” will showcase preventative techniques, the statement said. “It’s such a huge issue, and it’s been grabbing headlines lately,” Wittke said. “We feel it’s important to keep the community up to date on our efforts.”
has been talked about for a long time and is important to the country’s economic future. While the president is campaigning for keeping interest rates low on general subsidized loans, his current budget plan for 2013 does increase rates on Perkins loans, which ease financial burdens from college tuition. “That is being revitalized and re-looked at with an infusion of resources. We see it as a completely separate program than the federally subsidized loans,”
Muñoz said. Muñoz added increasing the Perkins loan interest rate is part of a broader strategy to get universities to be more cost contentious. Christian D’Andrea, education reform policy analyst for the free market think tank The MacIver Institute, said just freezing Stafford loans would be a temporary solution to a bigger problem. “...This proposed freezing of the Stafford rates would be a band-aid where a trip to the emergency room is due.,” D’Andrea said.
Vice Chairman
Bryant Miller DEBT, from 1
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match the White House’s portrayal of them. “This is another gimmick to appeal to this demographic,” Hintze said. “Another attempt to buy the college vote. Not that college students don’t struggle, but everybody has got to share the pain.” Still, Muñoz said this is not just a push to get younger voters and is an issue of national importance. He said making sure college remains affordable is something that
The Badger Herald | News | Tuesday, April 24, 2012
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Legislative Affairs reflects on busy, detailed session Reps hope to build stronger relations with state, local govt officials, leaders Dana Bossen Herald Contributor Associated Students of Madison’s Legislative Affairs committee held its last meeting of the year Monday, reviewing the past session and planning for efforts to increase participation in next year’s sessions. The committee’s meeting was primarily geared toward changes that can be implemented by next year’s Legislative Affairs members and potential ways to increase their presence at the state and city levels of government. At the state level, the committee emphasized improving their relationships with legislators. Legislative Affairs Chair Hannah Somers stressed the importance of lobbying
CROSSOVER, from 1 asked him about it. “We are encouraging Republicans to vote in the Democratic primaries,” Vos told The Associated Press. Vos said he even crossvoted once, voting for Democratic presidential candidate Jesse Jackson in the 1988 Democratic presidential primary because he thought he would make a weaker candidate against former President George Bush. According to the AP, Senate Republican Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earlier this month that nothing is stopping Republican voters from “messing around” with the Democratic primary. However, Republican Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Ben Sparks said the party is encouraging their supporters to vote for Gov. Scott Walker in a gubernatorial primary. He said no wide spread partyled efforts exist to encourage voters to partake in the Democratic primary. Sparks said the party is running “protest” or placeholder candidates to ensure a fair election in all six recall primaries. UW political science professor Kenneth Mayer said it was unlikely crossover voting would play a significant role in the four senatorial recall elections because most of the candidates are running as placeholder candidates and are not running real campaigns. He said the main purpose behind the candidates is to create primaries so all general elections happen on the same day. He said it was unlikely any place holder candidates would receive any significant percentage of the vote. Wisconsin has an open primary, meaning voters do
within the committee and improving events that encourage students to get involved, such as Lobby Day. Early last month, students gathered at the Capitol in an effort to get legislators to communicate more with the University of Wisconsin System and get involved with communication initiatives. “This year’s turnout could have been a lot better,” said Legislative Affairs member Meghan Wagner. “If this is going happen again, we need more people.” Somers said in the future, instead of having several issues that students could lobby, Lobby Day could focus on one basic issue that is easily relatable, such as student debt. This would get more students interested and involved in the event, she said. Lobbying efforts related to the biennial budget were also a topic of discussion among committee members. ASM Chair Allie Gardner also joined the meeting to talk about her concerns
not need to present proof of party registration for the primary but can only vote in one party’s primary. In the gubernatorial primary, Mayer said it could be possible Republicans crossing over may have an effect on the outcome if they do so in significant numbers. Still, he said it is unlikely cross-over voting will change the outcome of the election. However, UW political science professor Kathy Walsh said there are real concerns over whether crossover voting will have an impact on the election. She said in the April 3 Wisconsin presidential primary, crossover voting occurred. She also said a number of supporters who voted for former Republican presidential contender and former Pennsylvanian Sen. Rick Santorum in the Wisconsin presidential primary did not look like typical Santorum supporters because they were not supporters of the Tea Party or socially conservative. She said Democratic voters may have voted for Santorum to make the primary last longer. “In Wisconsin, cross-over voting has happened, and there’s no reason to expect it will not happen again,” Walsh said. While Walsh said knowing which candidate people may cross-over to vote for is difficult, she said it would have to be a candidate who had a chance of winning the election but not the strongest contender. She said in the recall election, there is not a clear target, while in the presidential primary there was because between former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Santorum, Romney was the stronger candidate. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
with the rising student debt and urged members and students to attend an awareness event April 25 to mark the day when student loans are projected to reach $1 trillion. “Students don’t usually talk about debt,” Gardner said. “It just accumulates while we’re in school. At $1 trillion, student debt will have surpassed credit card debt. This is a big issue.” The event is scheduled to happen on Library Mall on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is focused on getting students to take an interest in about and lobby for Congress to forgive student loans and interest rates. Committee member Mudit Kackar said the issue of student debt is a deep, long-term problem that is not an issue with a quick fix. Legislative Affairs member Morgan Roe also suggested that the committee start being more innovative with their lobbying efforts. “What we did with Lobby Day was good, but they’ve
SSFC Rep. David Vines was cautious on making a decision on the MCSC allegations without first giving members of the group a chance to speak. When MCSC representatives arrived, he asked a series of questions.
heard it all before,” Roe said. “We need to start getting more creative.” At the city level, the committee discussed the adjustments with the Mifflin Street Block Party and ways to improve student involvement in the planning of the event in the future. Legislative Affairs member Devon Maier
Go Big Read to teach innovation Jackie Allen Campus Life Editor University of Wisconsin’s common campus reading program will continue next year with another new book and theme in the effort to bring together the campus community through literature. Interim Chancellor David Ward chose “Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie, A Tale of Love and Fallout,” by Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Lauren Redniss, to be next year’s “Go Big Read” book. Sarah McDaniel, a coordinator in the library and information literacy instruction program, said Ward asked the committee to think about choosing a book based on the theme of innovation, but gave them more room to choose from different disciplines that might represent the theme, including art, science and business. “’Radioactive’ embodies innovation and the wonder of discovery,” Ward said in a statement announcing the book Monday afternoon. “This book will inspire dynamic discussions across the campus community about the power people have to change the world.” She added they asked the public to submit suggestions for books, which the committee then picked about 20 titles to divide and read before giving their
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Jill Peters The Badger Herald
Jill Peters The Badger Herald
ASM Chair Allie Gardner addresses members of the Legislative Affairs Committee at its last meeting Monday. She encourages students to use the next session to focus on issues surrounding student debt as the national debt approaches $1 trillion this week.
hour into session, said after the committee’s unilateral decision not to recognize the contracts, MCSC had no other option but to turn to Bazzell for funding. MCSC member Swati Bhargava also said they were not aware of a specific policy they were in violation of, adding there was a lack of training and communication between the two groups. They were also asked why they went to Bazzell, rather than finance specialists at ASM. “I don’t think it came up because we weren’t even conscious it would be a policy violation,” Bhargava said. “It wasn’t until we heard back … that a flag came up and that’s when the vice chancellor raised the question. … But we weren’t asking the question because as far as we knew there wasn’t any.”
recommendations to the chancellor. The book combines different subjects, allowing various instructors and organizations around campus an opportunity to promote both creative and scientific assignments and events, McDaniel said. “We hope that it will bring together conversations across disciplines, so we hope that artists will be talking to scientists … and get the book talked about in a lot of different classes,” McDaniel said. According to the statement, the book is a “mash-up” of a love story, graphic novel and science textbook, telling the history of the Curies in a new way. McDaniel added Ward encouraged the program to continue, following former Chancellor Biddy Martin’s inception of “Go Big Read,” and was excited about getting students together to read the book. With the new book, the project will continue to motivate students to read for pleasure and connect various members of campus, she added. “Because we have such a big campus with so much going on, there aren’t a lot of common experiences that people have together,” McDaniel said. “The other thing was trying to bring together campus, students and the community so a lot of other people join us in reading the books.”
stressed the importance of beginning the planning of the event as soon as possible, saying it could have been an entirely different event had the committee had the information and started talking about it earlier. Legislative Affairs Member Sam Seering said UW administrators refuse to
discuss Mifflin, adding it is important that they face the issue and see students have opinions and are involved in this issue. “Things have changed much more than we anticipated this year,” Somers said. “It seems like every week there is new information about what is changing.”
Opinion
Editorial Page Editor Taylor Nye oped@badgerherald.com
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The Badger Herald | Opinion | Tuesday, April 24, 2012
UW needs crossfaith discussions Young oversimplifies labor contract LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Ariana Horn Guest Columnist The most momentous issue of the 20th century, W.E.B. Dubois asserted, was “the problem of the color line.” Presidential adviser and founder of the Interfaith Youth Core, Eboo Patel proposed to National Public Radio that the problem of the 21st century is “the faith line.” Patel argues that the “faith line” in modern society is divided by “religious pluralists” on one side and “religious totalitarians” on the other. Religious pluralists understand civic interaction and responsibility in terms of active cooperation, service in the community, and interfaith dialogue with the goal of understanding and respecting more fully adherents of other faiths and persons of no faith. Religious totalitarians, conversely, stand on the other side of the “faith line” and believe they alone have the right answers to life’s big questions. This academic year, students at the University of Wisconsin have been engaging this “faith line” in response to the
Interfaith dialogue and service aim to improve religious literacy.
White House Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, a project endorsed by President Obama. Obama’s call supports the idea that interfaith dialogue and service is an essential expression of American civic order, responsibility and social justice, not an optional exercise. The core idea behind the White House Initiative is that college students have the potential to be the vanguard of a national interfaith social movement. Patel uses the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee as a model: Young people on college campuses are perfectly poised to articulate a demand for change because they have energy, power, voice and education. Badgers have a long history of being strong, social activists. Before this year, however, faith rarely has played a dominant factor in social activism on campus. The UW-Madison White House Initiative of 2011-2012 has put a substantial number of religious and secular groups into dialogue. Units like the Lubar Institute for the Study of Abrahamic Religions, the Morgridge Center for Public Service, and the Multicultural Student Center, along with student organizations like the Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics; the Buddhist Study Group; Hillel; the Malaysian Student Association; the Muslim Student Association; Pres House and The Crossing have worked together on projects serving the campus and greater Madison community through the Badger Volunteers Interfaith Teams, Love Thy Neighbor Day of Service and Savory Sunday. These groups, along with students without a specific group affiliation, have attended numerous workshops and lectures throughout the year, addressing important
historical and current religious issues. (For a full list of events, go to http://lisar.lss.wisc.edu/ whitehouse.html). These service projects, workshops and lectures have created a physical space in which students can talk about religion outside their respective faith communities. For those who have been involved in the Interfaith Initiative, Eboo Patel’s lecture, “Interfaith Leadership in a Time of Global Crisis,” upcoming on April 30 (Tripp Commons, Memorial Union, 7:30 p.m.), is a capstone event for a year of social service, expanded horizons, new friendships and deep reflection. For a majority of the students, faculty and staff on campus, however, the Interfaith Initiative did not register. Yes, UW is a public university, but our stance toward faith, like race, gender or sexual orientation, is a part of each of our identities and should be promoted as part of the campus’ commitment to diversity and equity far more robustly than it is. For too long, UW-Madison has ignored the role that religion plays in society at large and in the lives of students, faculty and staff. For me, the interfaith movement is powerful because the people involved have been mobilized to action by a shared, yet extremely diverse, devotion to some transcendent object: a divine being, an ordered universe or sense of moral responsibility to the community. Interfaith dialogue and service aim to improve religious literacy. The more one talks about one’s own faith and listens to others talk about theirs, the better one can enunciate the most personal and complex theological and philosophical topics. Through open discussion, one becomes open to accepting people of different persuasions. They also become increasingly literate and confident about talking about faith. The “other” becomes known, takes on a face and name, and may become a friend. Through this process of familiarization, the Pentecostal belief in the gift of tongues or the Muslim practice of wearing hijab no longer seem odd, but rather represent examples of how groups express communion or supplication to God. Interfaith conversation has an exceptional capacity to deepen our collective religious literacy and make a significant impact on national politics and the world. But let’s start small. For those already involved in interfaith, I challenge you to speak louder and engage more earnestly in service. For those who are inactive, I challenge you to walk the “faith line,” to confront the 21st century problem, and, through frank discussion, enter into community service, befriend persons of differing beliefs, and be willing to interrogate gently the foundations of those belief systems. Whether the Patel lecture is for you the capstone event of 2011-2012 or the inaugural event of 20122013, let us send a message to Bascom Hill that one’s stance towards (or against) faith is an important aspect of student identity. Ariana Horn (aphorn@ wisc.edu) is a Ph.D. student in history and a Project Assistant for the Lubar Institute for the Study of Abrahamic Religions.
Reginald Young’s April 16 editorial “Law says Adidas did not violate UW contract,” is filled with oversimplifications and factual inaccuracies. First, Adidas is unequivocally in violation of its contract with the university. The Licensing Agreement that Adidas agreed to includes Labor Codes of Conduct, which stipulate certain labor standards brands that produce UW apparel must adhere to. Young’s main argument is that Adidas is not responsible because the worker abuses were committed by its subcontractor. The first section of the first page of the codes states, “The term ‘Licensee’ shall for the purposes of the Code, and unless otherwise specified in the Code, encompass all of the Licensee’s contractors, subcontractors or manufacturers which produce, assemble or package finished Licensed Articles for the consumer.” Furthermore, “Licensees shall provide legally mandated benefits.” Taking these two stipulations, it is clear Adidas is responsible for its subcontractors. In this particular context, they are specifically responsible for ensuring that the $1.8 million in owed severance pay is allotted to the workers. These sections exist for a reason. It is rare that brands like Adidas own their own factories. Most subcontract production to a variety of factories with little to no accountability for the conditions there. Universities adopted the codes specifically to apply to all facets of the supply chain and to combat this problem. Furthermore, it is incorrect that Adidas has no control over its subcontractors, as Young implies. Subcontractors depend on the business they get from Adidas,
and in order to compete they have to conform to standards defined by brands. Adidas has significant influence over its subcontractors, and if they wanted these workers to get paid they could do so tomorrow. Young’s second point that Adidas stopped doing business with the PT Kizone factory before violations occurred is also false. Workers in the factory stopped receiving mandatory compensation by Sept. 3, 2010 and stopped receiving pay by Jan. 2011. The factory closed in April 2011. According to Adidas, it was still involved in the factory at the time of closure, leaving seven months between when the first violations occurred to the end of Adidas’ relationship with the factory. Third, the assertion that terminating the contract with Adidas would not result in workers being paid is also false. Our goal is for the workers to be paid, not to destroy Adidas. However, as past examples have shown, putting financial and public pressure on these brands through threatening contract termination is often the only option available. As reported by The New York Times in the 2009-2010 Nike case, Nike owed workers in Honduras $2.5 million. They refused to pay, so Wisconsin and two other universities ended their relationships with the company, resulting in the workers being paid the full amount. In contrast, when The Badger Herald reported in 2007 that Adidas refused to pay workers in El Salvador nearly $900,000, Wisconsin entered into talks with Adidas, resulting in Adidas only paying $5,000. As history
demonstrates, the most effective tool we have to hold Adidas accountable is to leverage our contract. But just as important is the question: Why would our university want to do business with a company that refuses to respect its contract with us? As Badgers, we should all be concerned that by not taking a harsher stance on Adidas’ violations, we are accepting and supporting its actions. The overarching conclusion in Young’s piece is that we, the “general public,” apparently “have no clue what the details of the situation are.” This is yet another false claim. First, we are acting on information compiled by the Workers’ Rights Consortium, the UW’s exclusive monitoring agent, tasked with evaluating brand compliance with the Codes. Second, we are acting on determinations and explicit recommendations made by the Labor Licensing Policy Committee, the shared governance committee tasked with advising the Chancellor on sweatshop issues. This committee is the central body on sweatshop issues because it is composed of experts on the issue, including professors who have literally written the book on sweatshops. We are the Student Labor Action Coalition and we have been successfully pushing for workers’ rights for the past 19 years. We welcome students who would like to learn more about this issue or get involved. We meet every Thursday at 7 p.m. (TITU). Jonah Zinn ( jzinn@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in history and political science. He is a member of Student Labor Action Coalition.
Student loan debt pressing issue Katie Zaman Herald Contributor On April 25, 2012, students across the nation are gathering to mark “1TDay,” or $1 trillion day, as the total student debt now exceeds $1,000,000,000,000. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York report titled Grading Student Loans, “total debt on student loans easily surpasses total debt on credit cards ($693 billion) and total debt on auto loans ($730 billion). Some experts have predicted that student debt could be the next “bubble” to burst, threatening even more economic downturn in an already dismal market. Banks that have been profiting off of student loans for decades, such as JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the country, recently pulled out of the student loan market, following a move by U.S. Bank weeks earlier, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports hedge fund investors who are betting on getting great returns from loan investments are anticipating that the
default rate will shoot guaranteed profit. No up to 40 percent. I don’t wonder they lobby for know about you, but cuts to public higher when the banks back off, education and loosened lending requirements. I sense an explosion. to the Unfortunately for me, According pulling out of student Chronicle of Higher loans is not an option. Education, state spending If I can’t find a job that on higher education pays me enough to make has been declining and minimum payments, I basically not kept pace will go into forbearance with enrollment growth and inflation or default. over the At that past several point, my Unfortunately for decades. In original loan amount me, pulling out of response, will double, student loans is tuition increases and triple, or not an option. more loans quadruple are disbursed as interest to make up rates rise for the gaps. and interest The myth compounds. Student loan lenders that we can’t afford (the banks) don’t have to fund public higher is simply to abide by fair debt and education collection practices or ridiculous. In a report usury laws, and there is from the U.S. Department no statute of limitations of Education, in ‘08-09 on student loan debt. school year, less than They can garnish my $52 billion of public wages, Social Security university revenue came payments, tax returns, from tuition. Compare disability payments and that to the $117 billion even federal disaster spent on the war in relief payments. There Afghanistan in 2011 alone, is no risk for the banks; and that’s only a chunk if the banks can’t get the of the Pentagon’s $800 money from me, the loans billion budget, reports are guaranteed by the the Washington Post. Education is a right, but federal government. Wow, the banks sure in this country, it comes do have it good — a with a hefty, unsubsidized
TODAY in
History A P R I L 2 4 , 2 0 1 1
On this day in the Opinion page in 2011, columnist Elise Swanson argued that Walker’s budget and tax plans would have an adverse effect on the middle class. A year later, Walker still lags in job creation and many students leave college unemployed or under-employed. Columnist Victoria Yakoleva took a look at the Wisconsin State Supreme Court race, where then candidate David Prosser handily won by over 7,000 votes. “Money talks,” said Yakoleva, and also said that the media had played a huge role in his election. A year later, Prosser is embroiled in
price tag. As Obama dangles minor revisions in Federal Financial Aid regulations as an enticement to collegeaged voters, he took away subsidized loans for graduate students and congress is currently debating whether or not to double the interest rate for subsidized loans for undergraduates. It’s clear that real solutions are not going to come from the political establishment. We must demand increases in funding for higher education and decreases in tuition and fees. We have to act now to improve our own prospects for a better future and for those who come after us. Today, as the total amount of debt crosses $1 trillion, join your fellow students and add your loans to the “Wall of Debt” that will make an appearance in Library Mall and between classes from 112. And, sign the petition to forgive student debt. Get involved for yourself, your friends and for our future. Katie Zaman (zaman@ wisc.edu) is a PhD student in sociology.
scandals where he allegedly choked one justice and called another a “total bitch,” proving that you can go far if you just follow your dreams. The highlight of the page, though, was a large ad that likened the members of The Badger Herald to the urban, sewer-dwelling heroes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The in-house reads, “Fighting crime! Eating pizza! The Badger Herald-Since 1969.” Although editorial page content editor Reggie Young does live in a converted firehouse, that’s actually a little more Ghostbusters than TMNT.
Your Opinion · Send your letters to the editor and guest columns to oped@badgerherald.com. Publication is based on space and takes into account relevance and quality. Letters should be sent exclusively to the Herald. Unsigned letters will not be published. All submissions may be edited by the Herald for length and style. Reader feedback on all articles and columns can be posted at badgerherald.com, where all print content is archived.
ArtsEtc. Editor Lin Weeks arts@badgerherald.com
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The Badger Herald | Arts | Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Another ‘Dimension’ for local hip-hop group Kate Northey ArtsEtc. Staff Writer “Young, fresh, lifted, gifted, blessed, nigga laughin’ cuz criticism can’t conspire success.” A line from 3rd Dimension’s new single “YFN”, which has reached nearly 30,000 views on YouTube, helps illustrate how five best friends from the University of Wisconsin have made it to where they are today by working hard and telling their stories through rhyme. The group has fluctuated in size over the years, but now has five core members, in addition to their producer, Nick “Burn” Sampson. Brooks Jackson (Emcee) is the founder of 3rd Dimension, and Armani Davis (Probs), James Golden (Spaz) and Lateef Cameron (Rico) joined the group as juniors in high school, having known each other since childhood. Jacques Wesley (Half Breed) joined the group when he met Davis upon the start of his freshman year at UW. “We are raw, young people right now,” Cameron said. “As
young writers, performers, artists, we just try to channel the energy of what we are going through and what we see around us and how we can make you relate to that.” This tight group of guys is unique because they are not interested in having a distinct leader, but rather maintaining a group where all members are talented on their own and equally contribute to the group’s successes. This dedication involves practice. “It’s definitely like a different extracurricular,” Davis said. “Some people have organizations that they’re a part of, and 3rd Dimension is like one of our organizations. So we feel like we have to set aside time for it, and we’re really dedicated to it.” The perfect recipe for a rap contains high-quality lyrics and beats, but what reaches 3rd Dimension listeners on a more personal level is the message the group sends through its members’ words. “Our music is pretty much inspired by our lives and what we’ve gone through and what’s going on around us,” Davis said. “I feel like
people that are close to us in age can really relate to it because we paint such a good picture.” Wesley piped in with, “Whatever you can think of, we probably rap about it.” In addition to their own lives, the group is inspired by many infamous hip-hop superstars, including Tupac, Jay-Z, Biggie, Ludacris and Kanye West. “It wouldn’t be a complete picture to say that there are just a couple artists that we are inspired by,” Wesley said. “Can you even think about all of the artists that you’ve known, where you might have liked their song? I think you take a little something from each one of them.” Although all of 3rd Dimension’s members are rappers, they find ways to contribute to different aspects of production to make things sound their best. Sometimes this means hearing what one of their group members has been working on and dishing out a little constructive criticism until everyone agrees on a final sound. “Some of us like to mix the vocals after we record a
ArtsEtc. Photo courtesy of 3rd Dimension
3rd Dimension members Armani Davis, James Golden and Lateef Cameron bring their life experiences to their verses. session,” Cameron said. “We’ll go back and tweak the verses and add and delete stuff and then some of us like to direct the videos that we do. We also have a photographer and a producer that make the beats. So we got a whole team going.” The group’s first live shows were at birthday parties and they initially sold their CDs at school, but the rappers are starting to get out and perform at bigger venues and gain popularity online. Thus far they have performed at UW-Whitewater, UWLa Crosse and other acts around the Madison area.
Their next big show will be a performance at this summer’s Brat Fest. While their success is just beginning to find its voice, they have had a taste of what it feels like to perform in front of a crowd. “I just love when I’m putting so much energy and effort into [rapping]. I can just look out into the crowd and see that they’re loving it just as much as I’m trying to make them love it,” Davis said. The group’s last project was titled “Enough Isn’t Enough” and the mix tape they are working on now is called “University Ave.” They have produced more than 100
songs in the past two years alone and are keeping busy. When asking what was next for the group, two things were blurted out: “progress” and “big things.” “I really believe in us,” Cameron said. “I feel like with the talent that we have and the music that we make, we are gonna do something. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s gonna be something big.” Stay tuned into 3rd Dimension’s progress by following them on Twitter (@3rddimension) or liking them on Facebook (Facebook. com/3dMusix).
ARTSETC. PRESENTS LOW FAT TUESDAY
Health benefits, hipster pointers for Farmers’ Market Rachel Werts Low-Fat Tuesday Columnist Last Saturday marked the return of the country’s largest producer-only farmers’ market to Capital Square, making the local food movement hard to miss in Madison. Waking up early on a Saturday morning to buy fresh produce is a weekly ritual for many, but many of us college students may wonder, “What’s the point?” If you simply don’t get the appeal behind the local food movement, read below to find out the clear benefits you can reap on your next trip to the Square. Benefit 1: Local produce is fresher, and fresher produce retains more vitamins and minerals. The nutrient content in fruits and vegetables degrades following harvest. Water soluble vitamins, like B-Vitamins and Vitamin C, are especially prone to degradation the longer the produce sits in storage. Vitamin and mineral losses during a week of storage can range from
15-80 percent depending on the specific fruit or vegetable and the storage temperature. Because local produce has a shorter transit time from the harvest to pointof-sale, these fruits and vegetables are more likely to retain their nutrient status than the produce sitting in the grocery aisles. Benefit 2: Local produce can be riper and may reach higher initial levels of vitamins and minerals. Many fruits and vegetables destined for the supermarket are harvested while they are immature, so they are allowed to ripen during the shipping process. Although outward signs of ripening occur, these vegetables and fruits will not be able to develop their full vitamin and mineral potential. Local produce is usually allowed to fully ripen on the vine and then is harvested at the peak of maturity. This extra ripening time allows for all vitamins and minerals to fully develop, and also can contribute to greater flavor depth and development. Benefit 3: You know how the product is grown and processed. If you are looking for organic or pesticide-free food, look no further than the Dane County Farmers’
Market. A producer-only market means the person behind the table directly represents the farm the product came from and can tell you about how that fruit or vegetable was raised. Remember the definition of “local” only guarantees the geographical location of the food. The product is not necessarily organic or pesticide-free. Maybe you want to make sure no pesticides were used in the growing of your apple? Just ask! Want to know if the beef you’re buying is grass or corn fed? Ask again! One of the greatest benefits of from the producer-only market is you really know where your food is coming from. This transparency can work in your favor in other ways as well. Interested in trying a new vegetable, but you don’t know how to cook it? Want to know how to tell when a certain fruit is ripe? Ask the farmer for tips. Benefit 4: Your purchases stimulate the local economy. Of the average $600 billion that American spend annually on food, only about 7 percent goes back to the local economy. The rest of our food dollars go to packaging companies, global distributors, wholesalers, truckers and
other transporters. When you buy local produce you help local farmers by giving them a bigger return on their product. Up to 90 percent of money spent on locally grown food can go directly back into the pocket of the farmer to help sustain their business. New research shows the value of these dollars in fact reaches far beyond the farmer. A recent study by Iowa State University found that Iowa Farmers’ Market Association contributed $20 million to sales and another $12 million to indirect economic activity through shoppers visiting other local vendors and service providers. Benefit 5: Buying local produce minimizes your carbon footprint. If you care about the environment, you can feel good about choosing to buy local. Local food has less distance to travel, which means that less gasoline is burned to get the fruits and vegetables from the farm to your table. By choosing to shop at the Dane County Farmers’ Market you can further minimize your environmental impact by walking to the market instead of driving to the store, and by using a reusable tote to cart your produce home instead of
plastic bags. Be sure to take at least one Saturday morning before the semester is over to enjoy one of Madison’s finest traditions and reap all the benefits of buying local produce! For more information about the market go to
http://www.dcfm.org/ or write in your question to the column at Wisconsin. dnc@gmail.com. This week’s recipe is a spring vegetable dish full of in-season vegetables that you can find at the Dane County Farmers’ Market.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK Steamed Spring Vegetables Ingredients: 1 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup onions, thinly sliced 1.5 cups fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 cup fresh carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch coins 1/2 cup fresh snow peas, stemmed 1/2 cup frozen artichokes 1/2 cup water 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup frozen green peas 1/4 cup thinly sliced green scallion tops Black pepper, to taste Directions 1. Heat butter in a large, deep sauté pan over mediumhigh heat. Carefully add onions; saute until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Remove pan from heat. (Can be prepared to this point a couple of hours ahead.) 2. Add asparagus, carrots, snow peas, artichokes, salt and 1/2 cup water to pan. Return to high heat; cover and cook until vegetables start to steam. Steam, covered, until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add peas; continue to steam until vegetables are just tender, about 1 minute longer. Stir in scallion tops, and season with pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Sara Bareilles performance like secret between friends Humble pianist of ‘Love Song’ fame gave intimate feel to Union Theater show Jenna Quilty ArtsEtc. Writer The Wisconsin Union Theater is not the typical place for mosh pits, especially at a Sara Bareilles concert. So it was no surprise that although everyone seemed excited for a great show, there was a relatively low-key atmosphere at the venue Saturday while people patiently waited in line to be ushered to their seats. The concert began less than five minutes after it was scheduled to, and it seemed like it was going to be a calm and collected show. The demure atmosphere
rang true even for the opening act, University of Wisconsin alum and folk artist Anna Vogelzang. Her style of singing brought forth the familiar feeling of enjoying live music at a coffee shop. She was accompanied by only a cellist and bassist, but that did not stop her from creating a rich sound with heavy acoustics. She herself played a wide variety of string instruments in addition to the banjo and the ukulele. Vogelzang’s musical skill was most apparent in “Undertow,” a song mostly driven by the plucking of a thumb piano. The instrument almost sounded like a xylophone against her voice, and it was a creative addition to a mellow song. Vogelzang was conversational with the audience, helping to add to the comfortable
atmosphere of the small venue. Though the singer did not necessarily “rev up” the audience for Sara Bareilles, she really didn’t need to, as Bareilles’ mere presence on stage sent the audience into an eruption of screaming and clapping. Sara Bareilles opened her performance with popular song “Love on the Rocks,” but it was her cover of “Single Ladies” that made the girl-dominated audience break out into laughter and applause. Even Bareilles noticed the demographic, joking before the song that if you were able to get a man to a Sara Bareilles concert, “that’s marriage material right there.” Although not the best rendition of the song, Bareilles made the cover all her own with fervent piano accompaniment and artistic vocalization. Her two guitarists and drummer also helped bring
a great deal of energy to the music, and it was apparent from the expression on all of their faces they were having just as good of a time as the audience. Her most impressive piece, artistically, was her a cappella rendition of “Gravity.” She hit every note, bringing forth an amount of passion and raw talent that is rarely seen in musical artists today. After holding a particularly high note, the audience went wild. Sara Bareilles simply smiled and waved after such a moving piece. She was so humble throughout her whole performance that it felt more like one was enjoying the company of a friend rather than a famous pop-rock artist. A special addition to her set list was an unnamed song off her new EP. While announcing it had only been performed live once before, she said, in
sarcastic good humor, that it didn’t matter if no one liked it. She then flipped her hair, joking, “I’ll toss my weave back.” After a few particularly slow pieces, Bareilles apologized to the audience, saying she would only play a few more sad songs, as she was just feeling a little depressed lately. She explained it was because she really wanted to meet Betty White and she was a huge Golden Girls fan. She even dedicated the song “Basket Case” to her.” After incorporating Betty White’s name into the song, she couldn’t remember the lyrics, and happily just kept playing her guitar and laughing until she and her band could start the song again. Despite her mishap, her humorous comments in between such emotionally driven pieces made the overall atmosphere light
and friendly. Although the performance was fun to watch and Bareilles was personable with the audience, her show was short. She finished playing her set list after an hour, and came back to play a two-song encore. The entire show, including opener Anna Vogelzang, was over after two-and-a-half-hours, perhaps because Bareilles could not physically play any longer. It was apparent toward the end that her voice was becoming hoarse, which was understandable, as many of her songs featured her belting out sky-high, scale-defying notes. Despite appearing and leaving the stage in what seemed like the blink of an eye, Sara Bareilles brought an overall charismatic and enjoyable performance to Madison.
Comics
Give Me Coffee or Give Me Coffee Noah J. Yuenkel comics@badgerherald.com
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The Badger Herald | Comics | Tuesday, April 24, 2012
WHAT IS THIS
SUDOKU
HERALD COMICS
PRESENTS
S
U
D
O
K
U WHITE BREAD & TOAST
toast@badgerherald.com
MIKE BERG
NONSENSE? Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. What? You still don’t get it? Come, on, really? It’s not calculus or anything. Honestly, if you don’t know how to do a sudoku by now, you’ve probably got more issues than this newspaper.
TWENTY POUND BABY
DIFFICULTY RATING: How am I even awake right now?
HERALD COMICS
PRESENTS
K
A
K
U
R
O
baby@badgerherald.com
STEPHEN TYLER CONRAD
YOURMOMETER
LAURA “HOBBES” LEGAULT
C’EST LA MORT
PARAGON
yourmom@badgerherald.com
HOW DO I
KAKURO?
I know, I know. Kakuro. Looks crazy, right? This ain’t no time to panic, friend, so keep it cool and I’ll walk you through. Here’s the low down: each clue tells you what the sum of the numbers to the right or down must add up to. Repeating numbers? Not in this part of town. And that’s that, slick.
paragon@badgerherald.com
The Kakuro Unique Sum Chart Cells Clue 2 3 2 4 2 16 2 17
DIFFICULTY: Imagine this campus without caffeine. Horrors.
MOUSELY & FLOYD
Possibilities { 1, 2 } { 1, 3 } { 7, 9 } { 8, 9 }
3 3 3 3
6 7 23 24
{ 1, 2, 3 } { 1, 2, 4 } { 6, 8, 9 } { 7, 8, 9 }
4 4 4 4
10 11 29 30
{ 1, 2, 3, 4 } { 1, 2, 3, 5 } { 5, 7, 8, 9 } { 6, 7, 8, 9 }
5 5 5 5
15 16 34 35
{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 } { 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }
6 6 6 6
21 22 38 39
{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 } { 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }
7 7 7 7
28 29 41 42
{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 } { 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }
ehmandeff.tumblr.com
MADCAPS
HERALD COMICS 1
2
3
4
5
PRESENTS 6
7
14
15
17
18
20 23
pascle@badgerherald.com
31
32
34
19
27 35
38 41
43
44 47 53
42 45
48
54
46 49
55
56
57
random@badgerherald.com
36 39
40
ERICA LOPPNOW
10 16
26
33
37
RANDOM DOODLES
9
24
25
RYAN PAGELOW
8
21
22
BUNI
madcaps@badgerherald.com
MOLLY MALONEY
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
Puzzle by Will Nediger
PRIMAL URGES
primal@badgerherald.com
ANDREW MEGOW
MODERN CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT
THE SKY PIRATES
COLLIN LA FLEUR
DENIS HART
mcm@badgerherald.com
skypirate@badgerherald.com
Across 1 Ado 7 Queen in a speech by Mercutio 10 Denizen of the Endor world in “Return of the Jedi” 14 Two-thirds of AOL 15 Hole in one 16 “___ le roi!” 17 Danish birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen 18 Not that many 20 One who engages in finger painting 22 TV announcer Hall 23 “That’s it!” 24 Broadcasts 25 Ados 27 Give a makeover 31 “Take a
34 36 37
40 41
42 43 45 47 49 50 53
57 58
Chance on Me” group Detective’s aid Mount ___ Hospital One who engages in fingerprinting Promotional device When said three times, 1970 film on the Pearl Harbor attack Whip Target as a customer What “bis” means Tug hard Unwell Prefix with bar One who engages in fingerpointing Ecstatic Van Gogh painting dominated
59 60 61
62 63 64
by green and blue Starting from Soapmaker’s supply Title of hits by Elvis Presley and Justin Bieber Roller coaster cry On the ___ (fleeing) Locale in Devon or New Hampshire
11
12
13
CROSSWORD
28 Novelist Seton 29 Part of W.M.D. 30 Heart of the matter 31 Book after 28 29 30 John 32 Creamy cheese 33 Jessica of “The Illusionist” 35 Traveler on the Beagle 50 51 52 38 Involve 39 Salon tool 44 Available if needed 46 Bleach brand 48 Home of Barack Obama Sr. 50 “No more 9 Rouse for me” 10 Indiana city 51 Terse note on the Ohio from the boss 11 Ring bearer 52 Canadian 12 No longer in figure skating love with champion 13 ___ Gardens Brian 19 Nobel winner 53 Exhortation Mother ___ during labor 21 Observe with 54 Cousin of a the mouth bassoon open 55 Agenda part 25 Standard 56 Split sitcom 57 Tyrannosaurus subject rex had a big 26 Wooden shoe one Rocky the Herald Comics Raccoon™
Down 1 Pioneering scientist Robert 2 Reversed 3 Mixture 4 Tricky situation 5 Open, as an envelope 6 Locale of a 1923 Munich putsch 7 Goya subject 8 Lexus rival
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Now I’m not saying that guy was really drunk, but when he opened his mouth he violated the open container law.
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The Badger Herald | Classifieds | Tuesday, April 24, 2012
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Sports
UW prepares for Huskers rematch With conference tourney drawing near, Wisconsin solidifies lineup Erin Barney Men’s Tennis Writer The Wisconsin men’s tennis team has finally found the right combination of players in the lineup, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Badgers have had success top to bottom in both singles and doubles recently, earning four wins in their past five conference matches. This includes an unexpected 4-3 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the first team the Badgers will face in the Big Ten tournament this upcoming weekend. For a majority of the conference season,
VOLTZ, from 8 receiving yards from last year in Jared Abbrederis, but he’s been sidelined throughout the spring, leaving a wide open chance for someone to step up. One candidate to take over as the No. 2 receiver is redshirt sophomore Marquis Mason, who is a year removed from knee surgery and has yet to see the field on gameday as a Badger. “Nobody has made as big of a jump from Tuesday to Thursday’s practice,” Bielema said of Mason. “He’s got big ol’ mitts and is so freaky athletically. He’s got something that nobody else has, so the more of that we bring out, the better we all will be.” Few scholarships remain for 2013 class Another topic of
HUGHES, from 8 “That’s the first, second and last thing that we’re concerned about,” Mara said of the committee, which recommends rules and policy changes and gave birth to kickoff alteration last season. Mara has also recently voiced the idea of taking away kickoffs altogether, saying: “I could see the day in the future where that play could be taken out of the game.” An interesting idea, no doubt. If there’s any expendable component to the game, it’s probably the kickoff or the point-after attempts, although nobody’s worried about the latter. But getting rid of kickoffs will hardly do anything to help deflate the weighty issues the NFL has on its
Wisconsin’s head coach Greg Van Emburgh has created a new lineup every match, hoping to find one that consistently works. The constant changing is partly due to the six-game losing slide the Badgers suffered in the first half of conference play. However, Van Emburgh and the young Wisconsin squad were also battling persistent injuries. “They’re young,” Van Emburgh said. “It’s really gaining the experience and feeding off each other to try to get some significant wins and some signature wins. Early on in the season we really needed to gain that experience and gain that feeling too. I think we have some talent and potential and have the lineup the way we want it.” It is a rare occasion for any Big Ten tennis team to play another more than once in a season since they face
discussion this spring is the few scholarships that Bielema and the Badgers have to work with for recruiting. For this upcoming season, Wisconsin has only nine available scholarships to give out, a number that is usually closer to 20. That makes it even more important for the Badgers to get a lot of the in-state talent they usually do. According to Bielema, over 40 percent of the players are from Wisconsin, something that he says the school stresses as one of its priorities. “I try to emphasize that our priority always starts in the state of Wisconsin,” he said. “Lots of other schools I’ve been to like Iowa and Kansas say that, but here in Wisconsin it’s the heart and soul of what we are.”
hands. Of course, it’ll take some wicked technology to rid the NFL of concussions and other sorts of injuries that affect players for the rest of their lives. And however much the NFL wants to fine tune or eliminate kickoffs, injuries damning to the game like pulled hamstrings and torn ACLs will persist. The only logical thing the NFL can do without a radical alteration in the game’s format is to learn from the game’s cousin — rugby. Standard rugby rules define a legal tackle in a much different way than the NFL. Defenders are forbidden from hitting above the shoulder line (similar to the NFL’s helmet-to-helmet ban), but players are required to grab hold of ball-carriers as they try to bring them
off just once in conference play. The Badgers find themselves in an even more unlikely situation, as they will play the Huskers in back-to-back duals. Van Emburgh admitted that he and his team anticipated this outcome since the two schools were just one spot apart in the Big Ten standings going into Sunday’s match. Sunday, Wisconsin was swept in doubles play to relinquish the first point. The Badgers battled back in singles action and went on a three-point run thanks to wins from Rod Carey, Petr Satral and Billy Bertha. Losses on the one and three singles court by Fredrik Ask and Quinton Vega allowed the Huskers to tie the score. The match was ultimately determined on the fifth singles court when junior transfer Alexander Kostanov pulled a win out of a three-
set thriller against Tom Blackwell. “We ended up playing them indoors at their place and I felt like it favored them, but we actually played a good match and were able to squeak through,” Van Emburgh said. “Hopefully we will be playing outdoors in Evanston. I feel confident that our team is strong outdoors so we have a great chance to take them again.” Two players that have excelled on both indoor and outdoor courts are Carey and Satral. Van Emburgh has labeled the two sophomores as the most consistent members of the Badgers’ squad this season. Carey is 8-10 overall in singles play this year, and Satral is 1012. Against Nebraska, both players helped propel the Badgers’ 3-0 singles run with wins on their respective courts. Other noteworthy
performances this year have come from Vega and Bertha, who have both prevailed over setbacks. Vega was ineligible to compete in the fall season due to lack of proper certification. But despite missing out on fall training, he played his way through the lineup and owns a 3-9 singles record. Bertha was sidelined early this year with a back injury and returned in the lower half of the lineup and has been reliable for UW ever since. The junior Badger is on a four-match winning streak from the No. 6 singles spot. “I think the guys right now are positioned well overall,” Van Emburgh said. “We’ve mixed the doubles up a little bit. [Ask] and [Bertha] have been playing the No. 1 spot, and they are ranked 28th in the country and have a chance for an NCAA bid so we are excited about having
that opportunity.” The Badgers have often relied on winning the doubles point to gain momentum going into singles play. Wisconsin has been led by the dynamic pairing of Bertha and Ask who are 11-5 overall, 4-3 in the Big Ten and 4-1 against nationally-ranked opponents. Van Emburgh expressed the value of having a right-handed and left-handed player as a doubles team. “[Bertha] has a big serve and [Ask], as a lefty, slides his serve around,” Van Emburgh said. “They really feed off of each other well and know each other’s game. They communicate really well.” The Badgers will take a confident, solidified lineup into Thursday’s match against the Huskers, where the winner will then face off with top-seeded Ohio State Friday.
TIGHT END, from 8 Pedersen now finds himself responsible for grooming a collection of tight ends with no shortage of upside, but also a limited experience at the Big Ten level. Not a player known for his inspirational pregame speeches, UW’s top tight end in 2011 brings an understated approach to that mentorship role. “I say stuff when I have to, I’ll talk to them, help them through some of the stuff I know, but I try to lead by example,” Pedersen said. “All the tight ends we got, they’ve got all the potential in the world to be great here. I let them do their own thing and just kind of give them little hints and bits as we go.” Though Faulkner and players have a tough time naming any favorites to start this season, at this point Wozniak and
Arneson look to be the leading candidates. But as Wozniak continues to battle an injury, Arneson — a bruiser at 255 pounds — has practiced with Pedersen in two-tight end sets in spring practice thus far. With both never catching a single pass in a game day situation since arriving in Madison, Wozniak and Arneson saw significant time on the field last year as special teams players and blockers. Such roles remain an essential part of one of the offenses’ most versatile positions, but that focus will be changing for the duo as the Badgers fill the spot of the now-departed Jake Byrne. But for Arneson, who appeared in 10 games last season, adding a receiving dimension to his game is a welcome change. “You still got to block, that’s rule No. 1,” Arneson said. “But it’s been great
running some more routes, getting some more looks from those quarterbacks, I’ve worked with them more. Getting some passes, I can’t complain about that.” Working with such a large group of tight ends competing for playing time, Faulkner noted that he may use some players interchangeably depending on the play and the opponent. Outside of Wozniak and Arneson, the only player at the position with collegiate experience is Brock DeCicco, who transferred from Pittsburgh in 2011. After sitting out last season, the redshirt junior, who started three games and reeled in three touchdowns in his lone season as a Panther, could challenge the aforementioned duo to play opposite Pedersen. Despite their youth, the remaining tight ends have eased the load on their
new coach, who has been impressed by the skills — both receiving and blocking — they have shown early. “They are beyond their years in terms of football,” Faulkner said. “They’re very smart, they pick things up, they were well-coached from the last staff. They understand a lot of football, and it doesn’t make it that hard.” As Pedersen and co. look to once again be an essential piece of a Wisconsin attack that grew much more threatening with the addition of O’Brien, a chance at grabbing a coveted starting spot became equally attractive. Yet the depth of the position has cultivated an attitude among the tight ends that coaches often have to work hard to instill. “You can’t [be complacent] with the depth and talent we’ve got,” Arneson said.
down. So those hits that constantly make SportsCenter and various other NFL-glorifying video streams, in which defenders transform into projectiles by leaping from the ground and slamming a shoulder into the ball-carrier’s chest, shoulder or knee, would be illegal. Basically, arm-tackles are in, everything else is out. Requiring a defender to wrap up would work wonders in curtailing the sorts of hits that reduce players to pieces (what soccer players might call “reducers”). With a wrap, players wouldn’t be able to tuck their arms and brace their shoulders for bell-ringing hits and thus wouldn’t be able to hammer into the body of another with as much force or reckless abandon.
Of course, the game would still remain dangerous. But it won’t be as easy to torpedo another player in the head or kneecaps. And the gladiatorial appeal of the game wouldn’t be lost either. Wrapping up would force defenders into employing basic tackling techniques taught to players in high school, where a defender wraps around the thighs of the ball-carrier, lifts and slams into the ground. Watch any rugby highlight reel and you’ll realize this kind of tackling is just as exciting to watch. The most vicious helmetto-helmet hits occur when one player aims to plant his shoulder on another’s chest, and this wouldn’t happen as often with a wrap-up requirement. Those defenders too often miss
their target and helmets end up colliding. A requirement to wrap up would encourage players to aim lower on the body. The first thing any football player learns in high school is not to attack the upper body and bundle up the thighs instead. The only drawback from a rule change like this is it would make things awkward for blocking, where the use of the shoulder is important for linemen clearing a path for running backs. There’s no blocking allowed in rugby, so no use looking there. If defenders can’t use the shoulder to hit, then blockers — be it a guard or a wide receiver downfield — probably shouldn’t either. They’re equally capable of planting helmet-to-helmet strikes on another. It’s tough to imagine run
blocking with just the use of the hands, rather than bulldozing with the shoulder. Given how close offensive and defensive lines line up to each other, and the stances they launch themselves out of, it would be hard not to throw one’s shoulder into another. But football is hardly going to get any safer unless players take a different approach to hitting one another. They can’t keep shooting themselves out of a catapult. As the storm of player safety continues to intimidate, that kind of play won’t fly. Elliot is a senior majoring in journalism and philosophy. What do you think about an NFL full of arm tackles? Let him know at ehughes@ badgerherald.com.
Sports Editor Elliot Hughes sports@badgerherald.com
8 | Sports | Tuesday, April 24, 2012
SPORTS
More Online: Be sure to check out Herald Sports’ blog, Extra Points, at badgerherald.com/blogs/sports
UW deep at tight end With starter Pedersen returning, Wisconsin begins looking for man to fill in at No. 2 spot Ian McCue Associate Sports Editor While Danny O’Brien silenced many of the questions around Wisconsin’s wide-open quarterback competition for the time being, coaches can’t say the same about the tight end spot. With one established receiving option in Jacob Pedersen, a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2011, there’s a lengthy list of candidates for filling out the rest of the twoand three-tight end sets common in the Badgers’ offense. Fielding only two other tight ends who have seen time on the field for Wisconsin — redshirt junior Brian Wozniak and sophomore Sam Arneson — no one outside of Pedersen has proven themselves as a true receiving threat. But with inexperienced players like Austin Traylor and Austin Maly — both redshirt freshmen — showing promising talent this spring, new tight ends coach Eddie Faulkner has an
array of options as he selects his top tight ends. “Honestly, everybody,” Faulkner, a former UW running back, said of who is competing for a starting spot. “The younger guys who came in the class last year, Arneson, Maly and Traylor, that group of guys, I think [have] a chance to be really special but they haven’t played a lot of football yet.” In a system that features tight ends as key blockers in the run-first offense, Wisconsin has also built a legacy of success in using tight ends as major threats through the air. Though Faulkner said that Badger fans can expect much of the same from the position under its new coach, it is still unclear exactly who will be lining up opposite Pedersen come Sept. 1. And the fact that up to six different players are fighting for that second spot leaves the tight end position as one of the deepest on the team. Such a heated competition is something the single proven starter believes will
Megan McCormick The Badger Herald
Redshirt junior Jacob Pedersen led all Badgers’ tight ends in 2011 with 356 yards through the air and finished tied for second on the entire team with eight receiving touchdowns. encourage every player to step up his level of play. “I was sitting on the sidelines the first two weeks, and I was poking my coach in the back saying, ‘Let me play, I’m getting worried,’” Pedersen joked.
“They’re all playing really well, so it’s great, they’re going to push me to get better and hopefully I can keep pushing them.” Despite the competition for the other spot, the unquestioned leader of
this frequently overlooked, but critical, component of the Badgers’ high-scoring attack is Pedersen. A native of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the 6-foot-4 end finished with 356 receiving yards and grabbed eight
touchdown passes in his second year suiting up for the cardinal and white. Filling in as a kind of No. 3 wide receiver for Russell Wilson last year,
TIGHT END, page 7
Bielema impressed by Voltz’s progress Badgers’ head coach sounds off on work of wide receivers, special teams in spring camp Zach Nelson Sports Writer As the Wisconsin football team’s spring game draws nearer, head coach Bret Bielema has been pleased with the progression of his players so far in camp. Even though there hasn’t been much full contact in camp yet, Bielema said he’s been surprised at the level of intensity on the field. “The first two days of practice were actually kind of a shock to me, being as clean and as efficient as they were,” Bielema said. “The intensity is as good as we’ve ever had here.” Coming off a second consecutive Big Ten title and Rose Bowl appearance, Wisconsin now faces the tough task of replacing a group of 20 seniors — as well as junior center Peter Megan McCormick The Badger Herald Konz who declared for the UW head coach Bret Bielema has been impressed with the team’s newcomer, Dan Voltz, who graduated high school a semester ear- upcoming NFL draft — and ly to join the Badgers. A native of Barrington, Ill., Voltz stands at 6-foot-4, 288-pounds and has played center and guard this spring. six assistant coaches.
With plenty of new opportunities across the roster, Bielema has seen freshman offensive lineman Dan Voltz mesh into the college game nicely so far. Like center Travis Frederick before him, Voltz is one of three Badgers to have graduated early from high school in order to practice with UW in the spring. And so far, the 6-foot4, 288-pound lineman has impressed Bielema the most out of Wisconsin’s newcomers. “Since the recruiting process, he has been nothing but a highlight for us,” Bielama said of Voltz. “He’s very detail-oriented. Probably one of the more gifted O-linemen since I’ve been here that I’ve ever seen come in and handle things so well from the getgo. He’s going to be a very, very good football player for us, either at the center or guard position.” The Badgers will also have to replace both their kicker and their punter this year, something they haven’t had to worry about for four years. Both former kicker Philip Welch and
punter Brad Nortman both saw significant time on the field for all four years of their time at Wisconsin. This year, redshirt sophomore Kyle French is the favorite to replace Welch as the starting kicker. French saw a lot of time last year as Welch missed the majority of the first half of the season with a leg injury. During Welch’s absence French went 3-for5 on field goal attempts while also handling most of the kickoff duties. According to Bielema, French is off to a good start this spring. “French was 4-for-4 Sunday, which was the first time we’ve done live kicking,” Bielema said. “The biggest thing is to try and create as many pressure situations as possible.” Another position with major shoes to fill is at wide receiver. Wisconsin will lose its top receiver from last year, Nick Toon, who led the Badgers with 10 touchdown receptions in 2011. However, Wisconsin will return its team leader in
VOLTZ, page 7
NFL must change tackling for safety Elliot Hughes Look Hughe’s Laughing Now Whether you’ve realized yet or not, professional football has entered a new era. Where there was once the dawn of the league, the AFL-NFL merger, the beginning of the modern age, there is now the concussion era.
It’s beginning — marked by the tumultuous first few weeks of the 2010-11 season when Pittsburgh’s James Harrison, Atlanta’s Dunta Robinson and New England’s Brandon Meriweather laid the wood on vulnerable players — aroused a crackdown on violent hits just as a brewing storm of research on brain injuries began to form. And ever since, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s player safety initiative has continued. Harrison became the first player suspended for a helmet-to-helmet collision
last season — sitting out one game — and kickoffs were bumped up five yards to the 35-yard line. But fines continued. Proposals on how to make the game safer is becoming one of the more popular annual offseason topics. Recently, John Mara, owner of the New York Giants, told the team’s website the NFL Competition Committee, of which he is a member, is pinpointing player safety — and not much else, from the way it sounds.
HUGHES, page 7